The present invention relates to improvements in the airplanes, launching mechanisms, and methods of making same disclosed in my above-identified copending application. In the arrangement of this earlier application, a single wire was used to clamp the wing and body sections of the airplane and to form a launching hook. This arrangement substantially reduced manufacturing costs by obviating the need for lamination or direct adhesion of the folded portions of plastic sheet material forming the airplane body and wing sections. The present invention contemplates a modified improved construction of the connection between the wing and body sections which utilizes a slot formed in a sheet of flat plastic material forming the wing section for accommodating a portion of a second sheet which forms a substantial part of the body section of the toy airplane. With this particular slotted sheet construction, the clamping of the sheets together is simplified because the total number of fold lines in the sheets is reduced and because the slot serves to additionally guide and position the wing and body sections with respect to one another.
A further improved feature contemplated by the present invention includes the utilization of simple paper staples for clamping the sheets forming the wing and body sections into the final airplane configuration. With these simple staple connections, one can clamp the sheets together without the necessity of special clamping tools and clamping wires.
The present invention also contemplates an improved launching hook construction which utilizes a further sheet of flat foldable sheet material clamped by the staples to the sheets forming the wing and body sections of the airplane. Since the launching hook utilizes only small amounts of the sheet material, the normally wasted material contained between pattern cutouts for the wing and body sections can be advantageously utilized to form these launching hooks. Also, since the launching hook construction according to the present invention may be formed of the same material as is the wing and body section of the airplane, the total weight of the launching hook with respect to the weight of the total airplane is relatively small as compared to arrangements wherein metal launching hooks are utilized.
The present invention also contemplates improved modifications in the airplane design so as to accommodate rocket engine or fuel cylinder engine propulsion in lieu of the launching hook and rubber band launching arrangement of the above-mentioned earlier application. In this connection, the present invention contemplates the utilization of a flat sheet of material folded into a configuration forming a holder for a rocket engine, with the holder being stapled to the sheets forming the wing and body sections of the airplane. A rubber band may be utilized according to the present invention to clamp the rocket engine into place in the holder formed by the sheet of materials stapled to the airplane wing and body section. With this arrangement of the rocket holder, the total weight of the airplane is minimal and the manufacturing cost for attaching the rocket holder to the airplane construction is minimized. Also, with the simplified rubber band attachment of the rocket engine, the rocket engines may be readily removed and replaced for repeated rocket flights of the same airplane configuration. A modified rocket engine holder includes detents which permit an exhausted rocket to fall away from the airplane.
The present invention also contemplates improvements in launching devices for launching the airplane embodiments having a hook engageable with a resilient means such as a rubber band during the launching operation. Specifically, the present invention contemplates utilization of a relatively flat rigid plastic rod having apertures at opposite ends thereof for accommodating rubber bands. This flat rod configuration presents the advantage that a large printing or labelling surface is obtained for advertising purposes or for written instructions on operation of the device. In a particularly simplified construction of launching device, the plastic rod is formed of a single sheet of flexible flat foldable material which is folded into a rod configuration and stapled by paper staples. This folded and stapled construction facilitates the utilization of similar materials as used for the airplane configuration and thereby reduces total manufacturing costs for the launching devices.
The present invention also contemplates the method of manufacturing the improved airplane and launching mechanism embodiments discussed above, which method includes cutting out the predetermined patterns from the flat sheet material, forming creases in the flat sheet material corresponding to the desired fold lines for the finished airplane configuration, providing the slot in the sheet forming the wing for accommodating the body section, folding the flat material in the final airplane configuration, and clamping the sheets forming the airplane configuration into position by paper staples. It will be understood that the method of construction according to the present invention advantageously reduces the manufacturing costs by ultimately utilizing all of the normally scrap sheet material, by minimizing the number of parts and manufacturing steps and by utilizing only simple readily available manufacturing equipment and supplies.
The present invention also contemplates a build-it-yourself airplane kit and a novel rocket launch stand arrangement.
The above-discussed and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description thereof, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.